Projectors, Oldbie with a Newbie question. [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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Worf101
10-29-2004, 06:49 AM
A friend needs to put his screen over his fireplace. Unlike mine which is rarely used and has no insert, his would be used with a glass insert and get quite friggin' hot, about 600* F. according to some schlub he consulted with. Sooooo this lets out LCDs, and anything else sitting on the mantle or above it.

I'm helping him set up his first HT so I suggested that he looking into a projector and project the TV over the fireplace. The problem is I know next to nothing about this technology, it's implimentation, drawbacks etc. I hope you guys can help an oldbie who's kinda been helpful in the past.

1. What are the better brands of projectors out there?

2. Any minimum distance requirements?

3. Ceiling, floor or table mount?

4. Projected half life of the technology?

5. Will the wall do for a surface or are there special paints or hangings that are needed?

6. Any other information I need to look for?

Thanks folks, I really appreciate it. Please any information, anecdotes, warnings, hints will be paid for with much love and beers if and when we meet.

Yours...

Da Worfster :D

spacedeckman
10-29-2004, 04:12 PM
The biggie is what his budget is. If he's going in on the cheap, my answer is going to be really different from the answer will be if he is going to take this seriously.

First off, a projector is "out" if there is no way to control the light in the room. That is the deal breaker in most homes. If there is a way to significantly restrict light coming in, then a projector is a possibility.

Second, if this is going to be a primary TV monitor, a projector is going to be a poor choice. Bulbs are good for a couple of thousand hours, then start to color shift degrading picture quality. At $400-600 each, they become a consideration.

Next, the screen. If heat is going to be an issue (high heat can discolor or otherwise affect screen material) than he will want a motorized or roll-up screen, not a fixed. That is going to add to the price.

Best I've seen lately: Cheap: Sony has LCD for about $3500. The colors are a bit cartoonish and the detail isn't up with the best, but for the money, you can't go wrong.
Yamaha has an LCD at $5k which is the best LCD I've seen lately. Unfortunately, they guy who used to be able to expose me to other projectors has become a Yamaha projector only dealer. "they look good, easy to set up, and don't break". Can't argue with that thinking. Their $12k DLP is unbelievably good.

Hope that helped. BTW, different projectors have different throw distances that change with the size of the screen. Unless you are going to be far back, I'm a little iffy on screens over 106" with a fixed pixel projector.

AVMASTER
10-31-2004, 01:06 PM
1. What are the better brands of projectors out there?
depends on application, viewing distance, quality he's willing to live with, etc... Check out Infocus(something for everyone), Optoma ( low end but surprisingly good), Vidikron ( upper level ), Runco ( some of the best )
2. Any minimum distance requirements?
depends on throw distance of projector, 1> determine his viewing distance from screen 2>determine size of screen and format( NTSC-16:9-1.85:1-custom) that with fit his spot
3. Ceiling, floor or table mount?
depends on the room but mostly all projectors can be mounted either way
4. Projected half life of the technology?
depends on the brand and model; lamps can run from $300 to $600
5. Will the wall do for a surface or are there special paints or hangings that are needed?
No, using a screen with a gain and material to match the projector will provide superior performance
6. Any other information I need to look for?
Light-light-light, the darker the room the better the image regardless of manufacturers claims. Once you've collected the above info, check out ProjectorCentral. Tons of good info